


The Never-Ending Story

by SociallyAwkwardFox (Maze_Runner_Fae)



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Fluff, Germany, Humor, M/M, Master's Student!Jason, Romance, Track Star!Bart, Unrequited Love, studying abroad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 18:04:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7944085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maze_Runner_Fae/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story dealing with the long distance between Tim Drake and Jason Todd, during their years in college. Basically, a huge ball of fluffy nonsense. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Never-Ending Story

**Author's Note:**

  * For [onehaleofanadventure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/onehaleofanadventure/gifts).



> This started out because I wanted to write a story where Kon was interested in Tim, but Tim wasn't interest in return. Naturally, it transformed into this gigantic monster that marissakat dubbed "The Neverending Story." I wanted to try to work with some other characters, so there's a lot of Bart and Jaime in this fic. Hopefully, I did their characters justice. As always, enjoy and I'll see you at the bottom!

“Where’s the hot guy you’ve been hanging out with?” Bart was moving his body quickly back and forth so he could see around Tim like he might be hiding whoever he was talking about behind him. “I thought you had a study date together.”

“Wait a second. Are you talking about Kon?”

“Is that his name? I keep seeing you two walking to class together and studying in the library together. He’s very hot. I approve.”

“What does Jaime have to say about you ogling another man?”

“He agrees. So when will he get here?”

Going by the excited look on Bart’s face, there was no way he would ever drop it so Tim had no choice except to answer him. “He should be here in a few minutes, but don’t go getting all excited. I’m not interested in him. Don’t try to set us up.”

“Are you still trying to get us to believe you’re dating some literature major that makes corny jokes, loves sci-fi, and could still bench press you?”

“Bart, I don’t care if you believe me or not. The only thing I care about is being able to finish this project as quickly as possible, so no distracting us.”

“You know, Kon wouldn’t be a bad pick. He’s good looking and he must be smart, since you’re working with him without complaining and he likes you.”

“Of course he likes me. We’re friends.”

“No. He like-likes you. He wants to kiss you and hold you and love you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“How is it you can be both the smartest person I know and the dumbest?” The dramatic shake of his head nearly had Bart tumbling out of his chair, but Jaime appeared seemingly out of nowhere just in time to catch him. “Thanks for the save!”

“No one else is going to save you.”

“You’re just jealous! Isn’t that right, Jaime?”

After Jaime took a seat in the chair next to Bart, he shrugged his shoulders and threw an arm around the back of Bart’s chair. “I don’t know about that. Tim might have the right idea. Fake boyfriend that gets your friends and family off your back, but you don’t actually have to deal with them.”

“Hey!”

“Shouldn’t you be heading to track practice?”

“We’ve got the day off. I’m getting ahead on classwork.”

“I can see that. You’ve pulled out everything and done absolutely nothing to it.”

“I wrote my name on that one.”

“How could I miss that?”

Bart opened his mouth to reply, but his mouth immediately snapped shut at the sight of a tall, black haired teen standing behind Tim. He placed his bag down on the table and took a seat in the free chair still open next to where Tim was sitting. His eyes were completely focused on the person he was sitting beside and he moved his chair just a little bit closer to the other. All of it was completely lost on Tim, who was too busy facing the other direction to notice the newest arrival.

“Um, Tim?”

“Kon, sorry. Hope you haven’t been waiting long. I finished the rough draft of the analytical paper and I almost finished my parts of the PowerPoint. There are just a couple of things I wanted to go over with you. How’s the research paper going?”

“I’ve finished almost all of it. I’ll make sure I get it done by this weekend so we can exchange them.”

“Great. What about your part of the PowerPoint?”

“It’s pretty much done. There were some questions I had.”

“Let’s go ahead and iron out the last parts of the PowerPoint we both need to finish, then we can figure out what other visual representation we want to use. We’ll probably need one more study session to finish the project, but we should have it done well before the due date.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. How about we meet up this weekend? Maybe Saturday night?”

Tim shook his head as he turned his attention to the documents he was trying to pull up on his tablet so he could discuss them with Kon. “Can’t. I’m busy this weekend, but we can meet up on Tuesday. Around the same time, same place. Work for you?”

“I guess…”

“Great. Now this was the first thing I wanted to talk to you about. I found some conflicting research and I don’t want there to be any discrepancies in our presentation.”

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you did that!” The fall to his bed was so dramatic, Bart bounced off the mattress so high he bounced up a second time. “He was trying to ask you out and you just blew him off. You know I wouldn’t have cared if you missed the track meet! It’s not even a major one.”

“While that did factor into it, I am busy this weekend. Jason is coming to visit. He finally got a break in his studies, so he’s taking a plane to the states tomorrow. I’m sure you won’t mind the extra person in the apartment.”

“Wait a second. You mean your imaginary boyfriend? The one we’ve been making fun of you for because we all thought you made him up? He’s coming here?”

“Like I’ve told you before, he’s not imaginary.”

“Why didn’t you prove us wrong?”

A sly grin appeared on Tim’s face before he sat down on the edge of Bart’s bed and kicked his shoes off so he could get comfortable. “If I told you about him, then you would have told Dick and both of you would have annoyed me about it. You would have dragged Jaime into it and Steph would have found out about it somehow and joined in. I would have never heard the end of it and all of you would have tried to butt into our business, so I told you all about him and didn’t argue with you when you were convinced he wasn’t real.”

“Who doesn’t have any social media accounts and doesn’t text or at least Skype?”

“He doesn’t see the point of social media, he doesn’t want to pay for international service, and he does Skype. How do you think we keep in contact?”

“How come I’ve never seen you talking to him?”

“You’re in class when we have enough free time to actually talk.”

“I can’t believe you kept this from all of us.” The look of total disbelief on Bart’s face had Tim chuckling quietly under his breath. “We could have been giving you advice or people to talk to about your relationship!”

“I’ve been talking to Babs and Cass about it.”

“Betrayal! Why did you tell them, but not your best friend?”

“How exactly do you think I met Jason?”

“I don’t know. I guess I imagined something so dramatic it would be a story that sounded like Nicholas Spark’s had written it.”

Tim rolled his eyes fondly at Bart’s outlandish statement and moved so his head was pillowed on Bart’s abdomen. “We met at a party. Babs was the one that introduced us and Cass had come with me. They’ve known the whole time.”

“I was hoping for something more love at first sight or falling into each other’s arms.”

“Sorry to disappoint. We’re not much of a fairy tale romance. We only knew each other a couple weeks before Jason had to go back to Germany for school.”

“When you say it like that…”

“What?”

“You’re introduced to this guy at a party and the two of you hit it off so you start seeing each other, but he has to go back overseas for school. Instead of breaking up, the two of you decide to try and make a long distance relationship work. It’s kind of super romantic.”

“Is not!”

“Is too!” Bart sat up so quickly, Tim’s head dropped into his lap. “Most people wouldn’t even try a long distance relationship and the two of you have been making it work for how long now?”

“About two and a half months.”

“See! That’s incredible and romantic and I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Ten minutes ago you were convinced he wasn’t even real!”

“Well now that I know he is, I can’t wait to meet him! Are you going to go pick him up at the airport? Will you bring him flowers and have a sign with his name on it?”

“His flight gets in while I have class. He’s going to take a bus to campus and meet me for lunch.”

An excited grin appeared on Bart’s face, that immediately had Tim sitting up so he could look his best friend directly in the eye. “I don’t have class until two and I’m sure Wally wouldn’t mind if I borrowed his car.”

“No. Absolutely not. The last thing Jason needs after getting off a long flight is you talking his ear off.”

“It’d be better than having to go on those old buses.”

“Maybe next time. The only thing I need you to do is make sure the common areas stay clean between now and when Jason gets here. I’ve already cleaned them. Keep them that way.”

“Fine, but next time-”

“Next time, I promise you can pick him up if I have class. Happy?”

“So happy for you!”

* * *

 

“I’m pretty sure I passed this building five times, before I noticed that sign hidden behind the tree with the name.”

“Jason.” Tim was sure the other man could hear the utter exhaustion in his voice, but he was too excited to see Jason to care. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Good to see you, Timmers.”

Leather clad arms easily wrapped around Tim’s waist and lifted him completely off the ground, like he weighed nothing. The smell of musk and sandalwood and something metallic filled Tim’s nose for the first time in months. It was so familiar, Tim couldn’t stop himself from melting completely into Jason’s muscular chest. He felt utterly swamped by Jason’s much larger body and was enjoying every second of it.

“How was your flight?”

“Long and boring. I’m ready for dinner now.”

“Luckily, I’m ready for lunch.”

“I suppose we can compromise. How does linner sound?”

“Like you made it up.”

Jason’s whole body shook when he chuckled and had Tim’s body moving along with it, until Jason set him back down on his feet. “As much as I enjoy seeing you on my laptop screen, in person is so much better.”

“I’m not going to argue with you there. Let’s get out here. I want to get some food, then spend the rest of the day lazing around.”

“That doesn’t sound like you.”

“I know, but my boyfriend’s in town and I want to spend as much time with him as possible. I even bought his favorite movies so we could watch them while he’s here.”

“Have I told you lately that you’re the best?”

“Not nearly enough.”

“I need to get right on that.”

The laugh bubbling out of Tim’s mouth was cut off by Jason pressing his lips sloppily against the other man’s open mouth. Tim immediately adjusted to the lips pressed against his and let his hands run through Jason’s silky hair. Hands gripped Tim’s hip bones momentarily, then lightened their hold so it was more of a gentle cradle than a firm press of fingers. Their lips slowly parted, leaving them smiling happily at each other with their foreheads pressed together.

“We should go. I’d hate to hit the lunch rush.”

“Lead the way.”

* * *

 

Tim lifted his head just enough off of Jason’s chest to see the front door when he heard the sound of a key fitting into the lock. The sight of Bart standing in the doorway with a broad smile on his face wasn’t the least bit surprising, nor the three people standing behind him. He seriously considered dropping his head back down onto Jason’s chest and going back to watching the movie, but he knew it would be better to get the introductions over with. With a heavy sigh, Tim used Jason’s chest as a firm surface to push his body into a sitting position and motioned for Jason to do the same.

“Everyone, this is Jason. Jason, the one in the front is my roommate Bart, the blonde is Steph, Jaime is the one holding Bart’s hand, and the last one is my brother Dick. Now you know everyone and everyone knows you, so they can leave now.”

“Don’t be that way!” Dick crossed the room in a few strides and easily jumped over the back of one of the chair they had squeezed into their living room. “I told Bruce and Alfred all about your boyfriend. Bruce and Dami are going to come to the track meet tomorrow so they can meet him. They’re both very excited!”

“Fantastic. How much did the little demon complain when he found out?”

“Maybe he misses you. He’s all alone in that big mansion with both of us gone to college.”

“We are talking about the same Damian, right? The one that threatened to push me off the roof after I accidentally ate his leftovers? The one that told me he was going to turn my room into Titus’ personal playroom the minute I left? The one that hasn’t contacted me at all since I came to college?”

“That’s just his way of showing he cares!”

“So what was his actual response to getting dragged out here for a track meet he doesn’t want to go to, just so Bruce can meet Jason?”

“There were a few choice words before Colin offered to go with them.”

A smirk appeared on Tim’s face and he leaned across Jason, so he could get closer to the chair Dick was sitting in. “Really? Colin is so good for him.”

 “Every time I ask if they’re dating yet, Damian gets all flustered and either glares at me or hangs up.”

“Cute. Does this mean we have to give Colin the talk? I feel like we should be giving it to Damian. He can be a bit… insensitive sometimes.”

“I can talk to Dami if you talk to Colin.”

“Deal.”

“It’ll give Bruce the perfect opportunity to grill your boyfriend about his intentions and his future goals.”

“Don’t remind me.”

An arm pulled Tim back against Jason’s large body and a hand covered his mouth, so he wouldn’t be able to say anything while Jason spoke. “Relax, Timbo. I’ve got to meet your family eventually. I can handle getting grilled by your dad.”

“What about your family? When do we get to meet them?”

“Well, Roy and Kori go to school with me in Germany and Sasha goes to school in France. It might be a while before all of us are here again. We don’t come back often.”

“What about over Christmas break? I’m sure Bruce wouldn’t mind footing the bill for four plane tickets, especially if he likes you.”

“I’ll bring it up with them.” Jason shifted uncomfortably on the couch, then moved his attention to the three still standing near the front door. “Are you all just going to stand there all night? I thought you came to interrogate me.”

“He’s so cute. I approve. No wonder you don’t notice Kon flirting with you.” The red headed track star flopped into the chair his boyfriend had just sat in causing the other boy to grunt in pain. “And so romantic.”

“Who’s Kon?”

“Tim’s project partner. His muscles have muscles, not quite as impressive as yours, but still impressive and he’s smart. Tim hasn’t complained about him once since they started their project, which is a new record for him. Kon even asked him out at their last study session and Tim completely blew him off. Mainly, because he had no idea that he was being asked out.”

Tim let out a heavy sigh and let his head fall back against Jason’s shoulder with a small thunk. “He did not ask me out. He just wanted to get the project over with.”

“You’re so oblivious. You can read everyone else and make these great observations, but whenever it comes to your own life you’re completely oblivious. Right, Jaime?”

“He was definitely asking you out.”

“Wasn’t.”

“Was.”

“Wasn’t!”

“Was!”

* * *

 

The stadium lights shone brightly in the night, illuminating the track and field nestled below the many stands surrounding it. From Tim’s position in the bottom row of the stands, he could see both Bart and Wally warming up for their events. Some of the other participants would occasionally stop to talk to the two, but the only one Tim recognized was a teen with silvery hair named Rose that Bart had brought back to their apartment a couple of times for movie nights. The lead up to the events was always incredibly boring, the only things that kept Tim coming so early were the excited looks on Bart’s face whenever he saw him sitting up in the stands.

Tim was just finishing a small wave to an enthusiastic Bart, when a large hand landed on his shoulder pulling his attention away from his best friend. The moment he caught sight of a pair of fancy black shoes, he knew immediately who had placed a hand on his shoulder. He stood up from his seat on the bench and allowed himself to be pulled into a firm hug that lasted only a few moments. The two pulled away, so they could take a better look at the other before they both gave small smiles.

“It’s good to see you again. How have classes been?”

“Great. They’ve all been going really well.”

“That’s good to hear. I meant to call you last week, but-”

The corners of Tim’s mouth quirked up a little higher and he gave his father a reassuring squeeze on the elbow. “I completely understand. You’re busy running the company and I’m busy with school. This is fine. Trust me.”

“In that case, where’s this Jason Todd I’ve been hearing so much about?”

“He and Jaime went to go get us something to drink before everything starts. I could tell them to grab you all something if they’re still in line.”

“That’s quite alright. I need to go to the restroom anyway. I’ll be back soon.”

Bruce disappeared back up the stairs, leaving his youngest son and his friend standing awkwardly at the base of the stairs. For a few moments Tim considered turning his attention back to the track, but he knew ignoring Damian never ended well. The boy was so busy trying to glare a hole directly into Tim’s head, that there was no way he would be the first one to break the silence. There was no doubt in Tim’s mind, Damian would spend the entire night huffing and glaring if Colin hadn’t come along with him.

“Are you going to take a seat? It’s going to start soon.”

Damian let out a noise, almost like an angry cat hissing, and glared even harder at Tim. “I was dragged out here to meet your vagrant boyfriend and-”

“He’s not vagrant. He’s a first year master’s student studying abroad in Germany and he’s getting drinks. It’s not like he’s making a bad impression by not being here.”

“If you say so. Where is Grayson?”

“I completely forgot.” A fake apologetic smile appeared on Tim’s face as he shifted his gaze to where Colin was standing behind his brother. “He’s with Jason and Jaime getting drinks. Maybe you should go help them. They might appreciate the extra set of hands and I think Dick had something he wanted to talk to you about.”

“Fine. Come on, Colin.”

“There’s no need to drag him with you. Don’t give me that look. I’m not going to chase him away or steal him from you. Colin is more than capable of taking care of himself.”

“Fine!”

The sound of Damian’s boots slamming against the stairs rang through the air and had several people looking at the angry boy. Tim didn’t even bother to fight the urge to roll his eyes at his younger brother’s antics or the fond smile that slipped onto his face. When Damian disappeared from sight, Tim turned his attention to Colin and motioned for the boy to sit down beside him. He gave a shy smile in response, then shimmied past where Tim was sitting and took a seat next to the other teen.

“I think Damian was really glad to hear you were in a happy relationship with someone. He just doesn’t know how to show it.”

“Thanks, Colin. Speaking of relationships, I wanted to talk to you about Damian.” All the color immediately drained from Colin’s face, making Tim feel sorry for the poor boy. “It’s not a shovel talk or anything like that. I just wanted to let you know that you can talk to me or Dick or anyone you feel comfortable with if you have any questions. I know how difficult it can be to navigate a relationship for the first time and Damian isn’t the easiest person to talk to about feeling. Relationships are a lot of hard work.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but we’re not dating. I don’t think Damian is interested in me that way.”

“Believe me, he is. Damian doesn’t open up to many people and he looks at you differently than he looks at other people. I’m sure he’d be ecstatic if you asked him on a date. He might not necessarily show it.”

Colin covered up his laughter with his hand, then suddenly stopped at the same time his eyes got incredibly wide. “Is that your boyfriend?”

Before Tim could turn to see who Colin was talking about, a warm hand cupped his cheek and turned his head in the other direction. Slightly chapped lips covered Tim’s in a chaste kiss, that had Tim smiling happily as he returned the kiss. Momentarily, his senses were completely consumed by a familiar scent and a hint of something chocolatey tasting. He let out a pleased hum when the lips against his pulled away, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation behind.

“I bought you hot chocolate. I know you get cold easy. Thought it might help.”

Tim brought the cup in his hands up to his lips and felt an immediate warmth wash through him, after he took a sip. “Perfect. That doesn’t mean you get out of sharing your body heat.”

“I would never miss the opportunity.”

“You two are disgusting.” The statement was followed by a fake gagging sound and Jaime forcing his way past the two. “Move over, kid.”

“What Jaime means to say is he needs to sit next to me and he doesn’t want to separate me from Jason, so could you please move over.”

“I'm sure the kid understands.”

As soon as Colin moved far enough over the other teen could fit, Jaime dropped down on the bleachers and grabbed onto Tim’s hand. A spark of fondness ran through Tim, as he watched his friend scanning the track for his boyfriend and smile the moment he caught sight of him. The grip on Tim’s hand tightened to the point it was almost painful, but he was so used to it by now he barely registered the pain. All throughout high school, Jaime had done the same thing at every track meet he went to watch Bart and it had only gotten worse since they started college. Of course, Jaime would never admit how nervous he would get for Bart or how excited he got every time he won.

Tim gave Jaime’s hand a firm squeeze in solidarity, then turned his attention to his boyfriend sitting on his other side. All hopes of striking up a conversation were dashed, when he noticed he was too busy having a stare off with Bruce to talk. There seemed to be some sort of silent conversation happening between the two of them, but Tim couldn’t tell exactly what was going on and didn’t want to interrupt. Luckily, the perfect distraction was given to him when the sound of the announcer’s voice filled the stadium.

“Why do I go to these?” The grip on Tim’s hand was practically nonexistent because his hand had gone numb a while ago. “I hate going to these.”

“You go to be a supportive boyfriend and you love going. You just get stressed.”

“No, I don’t. Why does he have to do hurtles? He’s going to fall and get hurt. He’s so clumsy.”

“Relax. Bart is fantastic at hurtles. He knows what to do and practices all the time. He’s not going to get hurt.”

Jaime blew out a mouthful of air and started jiggling his leg frantically up and down, causing the bleachers the groan in protest. “I’m so glad Bart gave up the football thing so he could focus on track. This is bad enough.”

“You would go crazy if you had to spend hours watching Bart get tackled by guys twice his size.”

“Don’t remind me. Oh, they're about to start.”

All movement that had been rocking the bleachers suddenly stopped and Jaime stood up, so he could lean forward against the railing. Of course the movement pulled Tim up with him, so both teens were pressed on the railing side-by-side. Jaime leaned further against Tim’s side and let out a grateful hum when Tim took his weight with no problem at all. They both had their gaze completely focused on the line of runners getting set to run the hurtles set up directly below them.

The sound of the starting gun going off had both of them tensing up, as the runners took off from the line. The first hurtle was easily cleared by all the runners with Bart clearing it slightly before all the other competitors. His lead increased with every hurtle, but the two remained tense as they watched him getting closer to the finish line. It wasn’t until he flawlessly cleared the last hurtle, the two stopped holding their breath and were able to relax.

“Come on, babe. You’ve got this!”

“Go Bart!”

“Yes!” The bleachers let out a large clang every time Jaime’s feet hit them on his way back down and Tim’s arm moved up and down with him. “That’s it! Way to go! That’s my little speedster! Did you see that?”

“We all saw it, Jaime. That’s got to be one of his top times. He must have heard you.”

“Shut up. Go make kissy faces with your boyfriend.”

“I can’t. You’re attached to my arm.”

“Just one more race and I can let go.”

A chuckle worked its way out of Tim’s throat and he nudged Jaime’s shoulder playfully. “He’s done fantastic in everything else. He’ll do great in this one, then you can hug him to your heart’s content.”

“I’ll have to feed him first. You know he’ll just fidget the whole time if he isn’t properly feed.”

“Bart wouldn’t argue with you there, especially if it gets him two large pizzas to himself.”

“He’s a bottomless pit.”

“And you love him.”

“Those words have never come out of my mouth.” The look on Jaime’s face was purposefully blank, until he looked over at Tim and his control broke instantly. “Don’t look at me like that. We haven’t said it yet. Bart knows I’m not ready to say it and he understands that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not like there’s a time limit you have to say it or you don’t mean it. I’m sure Bart will be ecstatic when you say it, no matter how long it takes.”

“I know. I keep overthinking it. I should just say it.”

“Stop stressing out over it. You’ve got the relay event to stress you out right now.”

“That’s even worse. How much longer until it starts?”

* * *

 

“Before we start, I suggest a toast!” Dick lifted his glass of chocolate milk and raised his voice even louder, so everyone in the small pizzeria could hear him. “To Wally and Bart, the best runners the world has ever seen! Congrats on the many victories.”

Everyone at the table, along with some of the patrons, cheered for the two and clapped them kindly on the back in recognition. Wally soaked up the attention like a sponge, while Bart’s full attention was focused on the teen sitting next to him. An arm draped around the back of Bart’s chairs and Jaime leaned over to press a kiss to his temple with a small smile on his face. Bart’s entire face immediately lit up at the gesture and he turned to look at Jaime with his excitement clearly showing in his eyes.

“I’m so proud of you. You did an amazing job today.”

“You really think so?”

“Of course I do.”

The feeling of something gently nudging Tim’s arm had him turning from the scene across from him, to the man sitting next to him. “They’re cute. How long have they been together?”

“Four, almost five years now. They’re high school sweethearts and I’m sure they’ll stay together for the long haul.”

“I don’t doubt that. They seem to have a stable, happy relationship.”

“The few times they’ve really fought, it’s ended in tears on both sides and a make up worthy of the Hallmark channel.”

“Speaking of fights, I’ve been thinking we should have our first before I leave on Monday. That way, we can do it face-to-face and get it out of the way.”

“What should we fight about?”

“Not sure.” Jason tapped his finger thoughtfully against his chin with an exaggerated hum. “Maybe I could leave my socks out on the carpet or drink right out of the milk carton.”

“Both of those are disgusting and you better not do either of them.”

“Fine, then you think of something.”

“Okay. What about… whether Star Wars or Star Trek is better?”

“Timothy, I want to have a fight. I don’t want to have to break up with you.”

“Really now?”

“Sci-fi is serious business. It shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

“How silly of me.”

Jason leaned forward to kiss Tim, but stopped when the sound of someone clearing their throat came from down the table. “I guess, I’ll forgive you. This time.”

“Are you scared of my dad?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“You are.”

“He might be a little threatening. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Is that why you’re not kissing me?”

“You want to know what we talked about?”

“Only if you want to tell me.” With a speed Jason couldn’t avoid, Tim stole a quick kiss that he was sure had Bruce glaring at them. “Promise I’ll make it worth your while if I do.”

“Your dad is going to kill me, Timbo. It’d be worth it.”

“Glad you think so.”

“He just warned me that you’ve been hurt before by someone you thought you loved and he didn’t want to see you in that kind of pain ever again. Said he’d come to Germany personally and make sure I regretted it.”

“Sorry. He’s not usually like that.”

“I understand why he felt the need to say it. I know how hard it was for you after Stephanie. It makes sense he doesn’t want to see you hurt like that again.”

Tim stole another kiss from Jason, resolutely ignoring the unhappy noise his father made. “Thanks for understanding. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to make that fight happen if you keep doing things like this.”

“Curse my natural charm.”

“You’re ridiculous, Jay.”

“And you love it.”

“Well I wouldn’t go that far yet, but it’s growing on me. Kind of like mold.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should. What’s better than mold?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

The look of seriousness on Jason’s face made Tim laugh into his hands and snort in a completely unattractive way. He could feel his face growing red from a combination of not being able to properly breath and embarrassment. A large arm wrapped around his waist so he could lean against Jason’s body, which was also shaking with laughter. Tim was ninety percent sure that his laughter had nothing to do with their previous conversation and everything to do with his awful snort. He tried to elbow Jason away from him, but the larger man was too heavy and clearly had no intention of moving anytime soon.

Someone tapping on his shoulder, pulled Tim from his laughter and had him turning around to see a familiar face. “Kon! What are you doing here?”

“A couple of my friends recommended this place, so I thought I’d try it out.”

“They have the best pepperoni and sausage pizza I’ve ever tasted. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

“I’ll have to take that into consideration. So,” Kon’s eyes darted over to where Jason was sitting, then slid down the rest of the table. “I’m guessing you went to the track meet.”

“Yes and we always come here after.”

“How did Bart do?”

“Wonderful. He won all his events and his cousin did, too.”

“That’s great. I’ll have to congratulate them both.”

“I’m sure they’d appreciate that.”

Once again, Kon looked over at Jason, before moving his gaze back to Tim with a strained look written across his face. “It was good to see you. I should get going. My roommate will probably kill me if I don’t get back with a pizza soon.”

“Have a nice night.”

“You, too.”

“Your roommate was right. He’s got a crush on you.” Jason gave Tim’s side a little squeeze when he made an indignant noise and looked at him with an affronted expression. “Don’t give me that. It’s not like I can blame him. Lucky for me, I’ve already snatched you up.”

“Is that what you call it?”

“What would you call it?”

“Don’t know. Give me some time to think about it and I’ll let you know.”

“You drive a hard bargain.”

A devious smile appeared on Tim’s face, right before he leaned forward to give Jason a long, drawn-out kiss. “That’s part of the fun.”

* * *

 

“Do you have everything?”

“I might be down a few shirts, but I’m sure you’ll get good use out of them.”

“I’m sure I can find something useful to do with them. Call me when you land?”

“The second I get a chance to, I will.”

They both lapsed into silence for a few moments, until Tim finally got tired of waiting for Jason to head towards the security check. “You’re not leaving.”

“Ouch. That hurts my feelings, Timbers. I thought you cared about me.”

“I do, but I still want you to make your flight.”

“What would I do without you?” Jason leaned down to pressed a quick kiss to Tim’s forehead, then both his cheeks and one last peck to his lips. “I’ll call you when I land and Skype you once I get back to my apartment.”

“See you at Christmas?”

“If I can talk the others into coming back, you bet. I’ll definitely find some time over the holidays to come visit again.”

“Or I can visit you. I’ve always wanted to go to Germany.”

“There’s a thought. You’d have your own personal tour guide and everything.”

“I definitely like the sound of that. Maybe, I’ll go home and start looking at plane tickets.”

“Sounds like a great idea to me. Okay, last kiss.”

Tim stood on his tiptoes so he could meet Jason halfway for a quick kiss, then dropped back onto the balls of his feet once their lips parted. When Jason leaned down to try to give him another kiss, Tim gave him a small shove towards the line of people and laughed when Jason faked a tear falling down his face. The older man hitched his bag higher up on his shoulder, before heading to the long line of people waiting to go through security. Just as he was about to disappear from sight, Jason turned to look at Tim one last time and gave a small wave that Tim returned.

After taking several deep breaths, Tim finally turned his attention away from the door Jason had disappeared through moments ago. He could feel tears threatening to fall and felt incredibly silly for feeling so torn up over Jason going back to Germany. It seemed ridiculous to be that attached to someone he’d only been dating for a few months, but something about Jason made him feel more fiercely than he’d ever felt before. He hesitated to give the reason a name, even though he knew exactly what his friends would say it was if he talked to any of them about it.

With a heavy sigh, Tim pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Bart’s number so he could call him. “Hey, where are you guys?”

“Driving in circles around the spot we dropped you off at. Are you ready to be picked up?”

“Yes. I’ll be outside in a second.”

“You sound upset. Is something wrong?” The concern was evident in Bart’s voice and Tim couldn’t help the smile that played along his lips. “Tim? Are you still there?”

“Yes, sorry. I’m fine.”

“We have mint chocolate chip ice cream at the apartment and Netflix has all the episodes of the original Star Trek series.”

“What’d I do to deserve you as a best friend?”

“I tripped over you in middle school and ruined your new shirt.”

A watery laugh spluttered out of Tim’s mouth as a familiar black car pulled up to the curb with Jaime in the driver’s seat and Bart in the passenger’s seat. “I didn’t really like that shirt anyway. Bruce was the one that picked it out.”

“It was an ugly shirt.”

“The worst.”

* * *

 

Violent knocking on their front door was the last thing Tim expected to wake up to on a Sunday morning the week of Thanksgiving break. He debated whether he actually wanted to drag himself out of bed long enough to open the door, but the knocking wasn’t slowing down and there was no way Bart would wake up. The day after a track meet he always slept like the dead and when he did wake, he would stumble around the apartment like a mindless zombie for hours. With an exaggerated groan, Tim rolled out of bed and sped through the apartment so the awful sound would finally quit.

To his surprise, Damian was standing in his doorway with his arm up and an angry expression clearly displayed on his face. He shoved passed Tim into the apartment and dropped a familiar paper bag onto the kitchen counter. His eyes roamed the apartment in fake interest for a few minutes, then he turned back to Tim irritably. When Tim didn’t immediately move, Damian motioned to the bag he had put on the counter and waited until he had chosen a pastry from the bag before he spoke.

“You took a long time to answer the door.”

“I was sleeping.”

“It’s already seven. Why were you not awake?”

“Some of us like to sleep in every once and a while.” Damian made an annoyed noise, then focused his attention on picking a pastry from the bag. “Was there something you wanted? I have a key to Dick’s place if he’s not answering.”

“Talking to Dick would not be helpful. He would be… incorrigible.”

“Did something happen?”

“No. I require advice. As I said before, Dick would act like a child about it and father… I do not feel comfortable talking to. Unfortunately, you are my only choice.”

“Does this have something to do with Colin?”

For the first time in his life, Tim watched as Damian’s face turned a bright, beet red in embarrassment. “Yes. I wish to ask him on a date, but I am not sure how to go about it. Your relationship with Todd suggests you have some experience in this area and I know you will not spend hours cooing over me like a child.”

“How do you even know Jason’s last name?”

“He told me. That is not what I came here to discuss. How does one go about asking another on a date?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

“Whether you’re looking for something permanent or not.”

“That’s absurd.” Damian huffed and took a vicious bite out of his muffin, like it had personally offended him. “Why would I ask Colin on a date if I did not intend for our relationship to be permanent?”

“Lots of people date casually and you could be wanting to see if you’re really interested in a romantic relationship.”

“I have no questions regarding my feelings for Colin.”

“Good. That means you can ask him out.”

For a few moments Damian waited for Tim to say something more, then grew frustrated when Tim didn’t continue. “I am already aware of this. I came to you for advice on how to do so! You are being even more useless than Dick would have been.”

“Damian, you’re overthinking it.”

“I am not!”

“You really are.” Tim stood up from his chair, then pulled Damian up and tugged him in the direction of his room. “Colin doesn’t care about dramatics or fancy words. He knows you’re blunt and right to the point. Just ask him out. Make it short and simple. Colin, will you go on a date with me? Easy.”

“It is not. I’ve tried.”

The bed squeaked under Tim’s weight, then let out a heavy groan when the teen tugged his brother down next to him. “You’re nervous.”

“Am not.”

“Don’t deny it. How many times have you tried?”

“Four. The last time he asked whether I was feeling ill or tired.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being nervous. You’ve been friends with Colin for years and the idea of changing your relationship to something more is understandably terrifying. He could say no and not want to be friends anymore or he could say yes and the relationship ends poorly or he could say yes and your relationship ends on good terms, but you can’t handle being friends with him. Of course, there’s one more option. He says yes and your relationship develops into something wonderful. He stays your best friend, but also becomes the person you love most in the world.”

“What if he says no?”

“He won’t.”

“Tim,” Damian moved his body closer to Tim’s and looked at him with large, imploring eyes. “what if he says no?”

“He won’t. He feels the same way about you and I’m sure he’s just as nervous as you are. If you really think being with Colin romantically will make you happy, take a chance and ask him out. He’ll say yes, then you can drive back here and wake me up ridiculously early again to ask me what you should do for your first date.”

“I will not.”

“Are you going to ask Dick or Bruce?”

“Don’t look so smug.”

“Go to sleep, brat.”

Tim ruffled Damian’s hair knowing it would earn him a heated glare and got immense joy out of his brother’s anger. When Damian went to smack his hand away, Tim grabbed it out of the air and pinned it to his side so he wouldn’t be able to move it. He knew Damian was more than capable of breaking his hold and was pleasantly surprised Damian didn’t even try. Slowly Tim wrapped his arms around his brother and adjust their body, so Damian’s head was tucked under his chin. A pair of hands dug into the material of Tim’s shirt and stayed there the entire time Damian slept.

* * *

 

The cold Gotham air cut through the heavy coat Tim had wrapped himself up in after class, along with the scarf and gloves. A shiver ran down his spine as he lifted his collar up to try to block some of the wind blowing fiercely around him. His feet carried him instinctively to the bus stop that he always took to his apartment, not even slowing a little at the freezing temperatures. There was no doubt in his mind the streets would soon be covered in snow and ice. He only hoped it would wait long enough for his finals to be over with, so he could be back at the mansion before it started.

It was starting to get so cold, he had taken to wearing hoodies and sweaters around his apartment to keep from freezing to death. Every time Bart caught him shiver on the couch, he would get every blanket in the apartment and wrap Tim up in them. The two had taken to calling him a “Timritto” whenever it happened and most of the time, ended up binge watching Netflix for the rest of the day. Jaime had even come over to join them a couple of times, so they became one big mess of limbs on the couch lazing the day away. On those days, Tim would always call Jason and spend hours talking to the other man to make up for the fact he wasn’t there.

Tim was so distracted by his thoughts, he didn’t realize someone was trying to talk to him until they tapped him on the shoulder. He instantly recognized the person smiling down at him and returned their smile with one of his own. Kon motioned for Tim to have a seat on the small bench next to the bus stop sign, then sat next to him.

“How did you think you did on the final?”

“Pretty well. There were a few questions I wasn’t quite sure about, but I don’t think it was enough to hurt my grade.” Another shiver ran through Tim’s body, making him wish he could teleport to the apartment so he wouldn’t have to sit out in the cold. “Do you have any more finals or are you done for the semester?”

“Just one tomorrow. It should be my easiest. What about you?”

“Same here, then I’ll be heading home for the holidays.”

“Me, too. Maybe…”

“What?”

Kon shifted nervously around on the bench, then pulled at his coat collar like he was feeling too hot in the heavy material. “I was just thinking that we could maybe, um, go out to dinner tonight?”

“Dinner?”

“Um, yes? Dinner and possibly a movie. If you’re into that kind of thing. I don’t actually know what you’re interested in.”

“Wait a second. Are you asking me out on a date?”

“That… Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’m doing. I mean, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“Okay.” With an awkward jerk, Tim stood up from the bench and took a couple steps away from it so there was some distance between him and Kon. “I’m flattered, really I am, and you’re a really nice guy. You’ve got a lot going for you. You’re smart and attractive and well-mannered.”

“I sense a but coming.”

“But, I’m in a relationship. A very happy, stable relationship. Not that I’m trying to push that in your face! What I mean to say-”

“It’s fine. I understand. When I didn’t see that guy hanging around, I thought you had broken up. Clearly, I was wrong.”

“Kon, I’m sorry. You’re a great guy and if I wasn’t dating Jason, I probably would have said yes. I know it’s cliché, but we can still be friends. I really enjoyed working on that project with you and I think we get along really well.”

A stiff silence settled between them, until Kon moved his vision from his shoes to Tim’s wide, blue eyes. “Jason’s a lucky guy. Friends?”

“Friends.” Tim quickly shook the hand Kon had held out to him, then turned to look at the bus that had just pulled up to the curb. “Listen, I don’t really have much food in my apartment and I had been planning to order something. How about you join me and we spend the night getting to know each other better. As friends. Maybe we could talk about Cassie?”

“Who?”

“The blonde that sat in front of us in class. She had a gigantic crush on you.”

“No. No way.”

“Kon, she asked you every day for a pen. Nobody forgets to bring a pen every day of the semester.”

What could have been a blush spread across Kon’s cheeks, but it was hard to tell because they were already slightly pink from the cold. “I might have been a bit distracted.”

“I’m sure she’d be willing to forgive you. Dinner and a movie would probably be a pretty good apology.”

“It’s a little late for that. Class is over for the semester and I don’t know if we’ll ever have a class together again.”

“Luckily, you have me as a friend. She lives in my apartment building. On the same floor.”

“Seriously?”

“She’s two doors down on the right.” Tim pushed his way off the bus and pulled open the door to his complex. “You’re welcome.”

“This is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

“Glad you think so.”

* * *

 

The sound of a car pulling into the drive was enough to coax Tim out of the warm hiding spot he had created for himself ten minutes earlier. A blast of chilling wind hit him as soon as he wormed his way free of the tight space and had him regretting his decision to wait outside for Alfred to return. He crossed his arms over his abdomen, then tucked his hands awkwardly into the pockets of his coat in an attempt to keep his hands warm. His boots crunched against the gravel of the drive, but the sound couldn’t be heard over the car pulling up next to the front steps of the mansion.

Just as Tim reached the first step, the car came to a complete halt and Alfred appeared from the driver’s seat. He gave Tim a polite wave in greeting, then walked around the car and opened the rear door closest to Tim. A surprised red head tumbled out of the backseat and was still sprawled out on the ground, when another red head stepped over him to get out of the car. She looked around curiously for a second, before her eyes landed directly on Tim and a bright smile appeared on her face. Her green eyes sparked happily, as she strode confidently over to Tim and pulled him into a tight hug.

“You’re the one Jason won’t stop talking about. He failed to accurately describe just how cute you are and tiny.”

“Thanks. You must be Kori.”

The woman nodded her head, then flicked her hand in the direction the man trying to get off the ground was in. “That idiot is Roy. Don’t go along with any of his horrible ideas or let him test out any of his inventions on you.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Did you need help getting any of your bags?”

“No. The boys can handle that. We need to spend some time getting to know each other. Sasha sent me with a bunch of questions to ask you and I have plenty of my own.”

“I was sad to hear she wouldn’t be able to make it, but I’m sure she’s going to have plenty of fun.”

“She was very excited the last time I talked to her. Jason was quite upset when he found out she wouldn’t be coming. He went to visit her for a few days before we left. I think he wanted to make sure she would have an enjoyable holiday. He can be such a sweetheart when he wants to.”

“I know.” Tim moved his gaze from Kori to a familiar pair of blue eyes, that had been staring right at him. “He’s got a heart of gold under all that leather.”

“True. I’ll be inside. Come find me when you are done having your little reunion. I look forward to getting to know you.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Good.”

Kori bent down and pressed two quick kisses to Tim’s cheeks, then disappeared through the front door in a flurry of bright red hair. With Kori no long obscuring his view, Tim now had a full view of an exhausted looking Jason standing mere feet away from him. He felt tugging at the corner of his lips and before he knew it, he was being swept up into a pair of muscular arms. His feet left the ground after the arms around him tightened and he was swung up into the air, then spun in several quick circles. A warmth spread through his body as he tucked his face into Jason’s neck, while the taller man slowly set him back down on his feet.

“I’ve missed you, Timmers.”

“Missed you, too. Hope the flight wasn’t too bad.”

“It wasn’t that bad. Towards the end, I started to get a little antsy.”

“Well you have plenty of space to run around here.” Tim motioned to the huge grounds surrounding the large mansion behind him, then stuffed his hand back into his pocket. “Feel free to explore, but don’t expect me to join you.”

“If you didn’t get sick so easily, maybe you wouldn’t hate the cold so much.”

“I hated the cold, before I lost my spleen. Thank you very much.”

“One of these days, we’re going to go skiing and you’re going to like it.”

“Doubtful, but keep telling yourself that.”

“What if, I promise to take you somewhere nice and sunny after? Greece or Spain.”

“Sounds like a date.”

A grunt of approval came from deep in Jason’s chest, then he leaned down to press a firm kiss to Tim’s willing lips. His body was completely encompassing Tim’s smaller one, creating a perfect barrier between Tim and the wind. The longing Tim had been feeling ever since he had dropped Jason off at the airport was slowly melting away, leaving behind a sense of rightness. The kiss was just starting to deepen, when someone nearby cleared their throat loudly causing Jason to jerk away.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?”

“I’ll introduce you to something.”

“No need for violence.” Roy dodged out of the way of a sloppy punch and took several steps closer to the two, so he was now towering over Tim. “Nice to finally meet you. Jason never shuts up about you. It’s like living with a walking, talking romance novel.”

“I am going to kill you.”

“You’d have to catch me first, Jaybird!”

* * *

 

The sleeves of the hoodie Tim was wearing fell well past his fingertips, but he couldn’t be bothered to roll them up. In all seriousness, Tim quite liked the fact they dropped so far down because it made him feel warm and safe. He probably looked more like a child than a college student in the oversized hoodie swamping his much smaller body. Lucky for him, his boyfriend always got all wide-eyed and affectionate whenever he saw Tim drowning in his clothes.

“What are you thinking about?” A light kiss brushed over the patch of collarbone exposed by the dip of the oversized hoodie and shirt off of Tim’s shoulder. “You’ve been very quiet.”

“How comfortable I am. How much I enjoy wearing your clothes.”

“You look good in my clothes.”

“Have you always been this possessive or am I special?”

Air blew past Tim’s ear as Jason chuckled in response and slipped the hand he had resting on Tim’s waist higher up, so it brushed over warm skin. “Very special and all mine.”

“So a little of both then?”

“Yes, a little of both. As long as you don’t mind.”

“For some reason, I don’t. Maybe, it’s because I’m all warm and cozy.”

“Don’t fall asleep. You won’t get any tonight if you do, then Santa won’t come.”

“We can’t have that. Damian would throw a fit.” Tim turned around in Jason’s arms, so they were pressed forehead-to-forehead and their lips could brush occasionally when they talked. “Kori and I had an interesting talk earlier. She was very concerned about our sex lives. Did she give you the list of ways to spice up a long distance sex life? It was deeply disturbing.”

“Kori can be a little… much.”

“I picked up on that, but we had a lovely conversation after that. Then Cass showed up and now I’m terrified because they’re probably making plans to take over the world.”

“We should be fine. Have you gotten the chance to talk to Roy?”

“Only a little. He got distracted after Damian let slip he has a couple of compound bows in his weapons collection. I think they went outside to shot cans or something. I’m just proud of Damian. That’s the first friend he’s made in years.”

“If Kori is busy with Cass and Roy is busy with Damian, that means we have some time alone.”

“You forgot about Dick.”

“Should I worry about your brother walking in on us?”

A mischievous smile lit up Tim’s face, right before he put all his weight into rolling Jason over and perched his body on Jason’s hips. “Dick went to visit Babs with Steph. There’s nothing much to worry about.”

“Nothing much?”

“Bruce is working in his office down the hall and he has very good hearing.”

“You’re going to be the death of me, Timbo.”

“Don’t act like you wouldn’t enjoy it.” Tim dipped down to press a searing kiss to Jason’s more than willing lips. “Alfred’s the one you should be worried about. He’s very good at everything he does and he knows everything.”

“What have I gotten myself into?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? You’ll just have to wait and see. Isn’t that the fun of a relationship? Learning about each other.”

“That and other things.”

“What other things?”

The hands that had been resting on Tim’s lower back started to drift lower, until the sound of someone knocking on the door had Jason’s whole body going completely immobile. “Master Drake, the others have decided to have a movie marathon and your presence was requested. I suggest you make your way to the media room and bring Master Todd with you.”

“He really does know everything.”

“Told you.”

* * *

 

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“For what reason?”

“Any reason! Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know.”

Jason rolled his eyes and let out a loud groan. “How can you not know? You’ve seriously never thought about where you would go if you could just pack a bag and get away for a week.”

“Not really, but there is one place I can think of now.”

“Where? Italy? There’s all that history. Wait, is it England? You’re a big Sherlock fan.”

“Wrong and wrong.”

“Damn, I really thought I had it. So where would you go?”

“Germany.” The happy, little glint in Jason’s eyes at his words was enough to make Tim blush in embarrassment and hide his face in his folded up arms. “Don’t look at me like that!”

“What do you mean? With my face. I can’t change the way my face looks.”

“You know exactly what I mean. Your eyes are all… looking at me.”

“What else would I do with my eyes?”

“Not look at me.”

A chuckle crackled through the tiny laptop speakers, making Tim dig his face further into his arms to try to hide from the sound. “Why wouldn’t I look at you? I thought, that was the whole point of these video chats. We tell each other about our day, then I get to stare unabashedly at you.”

“Stop it.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“You’re doing this on purpose. It’s mean.”

“Enjoying how beautiful and amazing you are is mean? I thought that’s what a good boyfriend is supposed to do.”

“Not when you’re doing it to embarrass me.”

“I like the way you look when you blush. Come on, Timmers. Let me see those beautiful blue eyes.” Despite the fact Tim would rather keep his head down, he lifted it up enough he could just make out Jason’s face on the screen. “There they are. Gorgeous.”

“Quit it or I’m hanging up.”

“Don’t be that way. How else am I supposed to show appreciation for you? I can’t hold you or shower you in love.”

“You’re the most ridiculous person I’ve ever met! Who says things like shower you in love? That’s so cliché.”

“I like to think of it as more old-fashioned, than cliché.”

“Dork.”

“You’re dork.”

“Only on days that end with y.”

Laughter burst unexpectedly from Jason and left him holding his abdomen after the laughter finally subsided. “Very clever and cute. You’re going to make me blush.”

“Serves you right.”

“Such a spiteful thing. How does all of it fit in such a tiny body?”

“It’s a secret.” Tim bit his lip to keep from laughing, but couldn’t help the smile already splayed across his face. “Maybe one day, I’ll tell you.”

“God, I love you.”

“What?”

* * *

 

The bag he was carrying dropped heavily onto the floor next to the chair, causing Jaime and Bart to look up startled. He let the legs of the chair drag against the floor when he pulled it out and dropped heavily into it. Both of his friends stared at him with looks of concern on their faces, but didn’t say a single word to him. Tim took in a shaky breath, then let it out and gave them a weak smile that he knew wasn’t the least bit convincing.

“Hey.”

“Hi. Are you feeling okay?”

“I…” Tim glanced down at where his hands were clasped tightly in his lap, then looked back up at Jaime and Bart. “Jason told me he loved me.”

“Really? That’s great!”

“Bart.” When Bart tried to say something else, Jaime placed a hand over his and gave him a look that had him closing his mouth. “What’s wrong? Did he say he didn’t mean it?”

“No. He said it so easily. Like he didn’t even have to think about it. It just slipped right out.”

“So why do you look so upset? Shouldn’t it be a good thing that he didn’t even have to think about it. He knows he loves you and isn’t scared to say it.”

“I hung up.”

“You hung up?”

“He said I love you and I hung up on him.”

For a moment Jaime’s face clearly displayed the shock he felt, but he quickly masked it and reach out a hand out for Tim to take. “I’m sure he understood. It’s natural to feel shocked when someone admits something like that to you. You called him back, right?”

“No. He called six times. It kept ringing, so I had to leave the apartment.”

“Why didn’t you call him back?”

“And say what?” Tim wiped at the tears starting to slowly leak from his eyes and took the hand Jaime had held out to him. “We’ve been dating eight months and we’ve only actually been in the same room together for a month of that time. Isn’t it too early to be saying I love you?”

“Tim, you and Jason probably know more about each other, than most couple that spend every day together for eight months do. You don’t just sit down next to each other and watch TV or a movie or spend the whole time on your phone while you’re together. At least once a day, you spend an hour talking to each other about your day and the things you like. People spend years developing those kinds of communication skills into their relationship. I think if Jason says he loves you, it’s because he really does.”

“Then why couldn’t I say it back?”

“Just because Jason is ready to say I love you, doesn’t mean you have to be. Jason will respect the fact you’re not ready, but you have to talk to him. You can’t just hide away because you’re uncomfortable.”

“He’s going to hate me.”

“No, he won’t. He’ll be upset, understandably so, but he won’t hate you.”

The tears that had been pouring down Tim’s face had slowed to a steady drip, that Jaime leaned over to wipe away. “I think I love him. He’s smart and funny and he doesn’t make fun of all my weird obsessions. Whenever I feel down, he knows exactly what to say and he flies all the way from Germany just to see me. He lets me steal his clothes and he doesn’t mind cuddling to keep me warm. He’s a snarky asshole and he doesn’t care that I’m a sassy asshole right back.”

“Sounds like you are, but don’t tell him until you’re sure.”

“Right. This isn’t a conversation I want to have on Skype.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking… I’m thinking of doing something crazy.”

“How crazy?” Bart leaned forward with an excited glint in his eyes as he spoke and ignored the elbow Jaime dug into his side.

“Well, I don’t think Bruce will be very happy when he finds out.”

“That doesn’t tell us anything. Bruce always looks unhappy!”

* * *

 

The Frankfurt Airport was swarming with people bustling around trying to get to their flight or getting off their flight. Tim pushed his way through the large crowd, nearly stumbling over his feet a couple of times, in an attempt to avoid stepping on other people. He sped past the people waiting at the baggage claim and felt extremely grateful to find the customs line for foreigners much shorter than he had been expecting. With every fiber of his being, he hoped he would be able to get out of the airport in under an hour, without any incidences. The last thing he needed was Bruce calling him to yell about causing an incident in a foreign country.

The entire time he stood in line, he chewed nervously on the string of the hoodie he was wearing and tugged at the ends of his sleeves. Several people had given him curious looks, probably because he looked like a child in Jason’s hoodie, but none of them bothered to do more than that. He presented his passport to the woman working the booth he was directed to and got a look of recognition, before she stamped his passport and motioned for him to continue on his way. Tim gave a grateful nod for the woman’s discretion, then hurried on his way to the bus that would take him to Frankfurt University.

When Tim finally arrived at the small bus parked on the curb just outside the airport, there were only a few people scattered around the seats. Tim dropped quickly into the first seat available and pulled his hoodie even further down, so the top of it covered more of his face. After waiting only a few minutes, a disgruntled driver appeared and dropped heavily into the driver’s seat. They said something in German Tim could vaguely understand as something to do with where the bus was going, then closed the doors and took off.

For most of the drive, Tim stared out the window at the buildings flitting quickly by and the cars heading the opposite direction. He could feel nervous butterflies starting to flitter around in stomach, as each rotation of the wheels brought him closer to Jason. Most of the flight he had attempted to figure out what he was going to say when he finally got to Jason’s apartment, but none of the words he had written seemed right. He was still uncertain whether Jason would actually let him in or slam the door in his face, like he rightfully deserved.

Tim jumped in shock when the bus came to a sudden stop in front of an incredible looking building that nearly took his breath away. He probably could have stood there all night admiring it, but the freezing cold air was more than enough motivation to start moving in the direction of Jason’s apartment. According to the map he had pulled up, it should only be a three-minute walk to the apartment complex and Tim couldn’t get there fast enough. Two of the people that had been on the bus were heading in the same direction Tim was and one of them gave him a kind smile when they both reached the entrance to the building.

“You’re American?” The woman held open the door and motioned for him to step through when he didn’t immediately move. “Who are you visiting?”

“How’d you know?”

“I recognized you. It’s kind of embarrassing, but I used to be really into all the gossip rags when I still lived in America and my dad is friends with Bruce.”

“Really? Who’s your dad?”

“Giovanni Zatara.”

“You must be Zatanna. It’s nice to finally meet you. You father always talked about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too. So who are you visiting?”

Tim cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably from side to side. “Jason Todd. He lives with Kori Anders and Roy Harper.”

“I know them. They’re on the third floor. Follow me.”

“Thanks for the help.”

“It’s no problem. I live on the floor above, so I have to pass by there anyways. Mind me asking why you’re here? You look like you’re about to throw up.”

“Jason and I are kind of dating?”

“Kind of?” The sound of Zatanna’s heels clicking against the stairs echoed in the small stairwell and made her raised eyebrow even more intimidating. “Why would you come all this way if you were only ‘kind of’ dating him?”

“He told me he loved me and I freaked out. I haven’t talked to him since then and I’m not sure how he’s going to react to me being here.”

“Good luck. I’m sure you’ll be able to work it out.”

“Nice meeting you.”

“You, too!”

Tim took a shaky breath, then pushed open the door to the third floor and made his way down to the door mark three hundred and twelve. A beautiful wreath was hung on the door, along with three signs displaying the names of the people living in the apartment. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but struggled to complete the simple motion because his mind was too busy whirling through all the possible scenarios. His fist started to shake violently as his fears started to get the better of him and he quickly rapped his knuckles against the door, before he would have the chance to change his mind.

“Tim.” Kori leaned against the doorframe and settled her cool gaze on Tim, making him shiver unconsciously in response. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to Jason and I didn’t want to do it through a computer.”

“He’s been unbearable, but he won’t tell us why. You better fix it or I’ll be forced to take matters into my own hands. He’s in his room. Second door on the left.”

“I’ll just-”

“Go.”

Tim nodded his head and sped in the direction Kori had pointed, until he reached the door she had said was Jason’s room. Suddenly, the bag on Tim’s shoulder felt agonizingly heavy and he thought he might just sink into the floor. He knew it was all in his head, but he couldn’t help feeling like everything that had been weighing on his mind was physically weighing him down now. The sound of Kori moving around the apartment was enough to launch Tim into action, so the woman wouldn’t do it for him.

“For the last time, I don’t want to watch that awful TV show and I don’t want to eat gallons of ice cream.” The door flew open in a fuming whirlwind, that nearly had Tim taking a step back to avoid it. “Tim, what the hell-”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have talked to you, instead of running away like a child. I know you’re furious at me and you have every right to be.”

“Why are you here, Tim? If you wanted to apologize, you could have just called.”

“This was a conversation, I wanted to have in person.”

“You didn’t have to come all this way to break up with me.”

Tim shot out a hand to stop the door from being shut in his face and pushed his way into the room, so he was standing toe-to-toe with Jason. “Of course I didn’t come to break up with you! I… I can’t say that I love you. I think I do, but I don’t know for sure. I’ve never been in love and I’ve never been good at figuring out how I feel. Love isn’t something that comes easy to me and you deserve to know why.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to say it back.”

“I know that, but I freaked out and I’m sorry!”

“That’s not why I’m pissed! I get that I freaked you out. It’s your right to feel that way. Honestly, I shouldn’t have said it over Skype, but it slipped out and I wasn’t going to take it back. That doesn’t mean you had to disappear for nearly two days. You left me in the dark for two days. Do you understand how terrifying that was? You could have just gone on with your life and I would have been stuck here wondering!”

“Sorry. I’m sorry.”

“You keep saying that, but you’re not telling me anything!”

“Okay, okay.” The burning that had building in Tim’s eyes was starting to make them water and threaten to spill down his face. “Can we sit down? Please.”

Jason gave a stiff nod, then took a seat on the bed leaving Tim the desk chair to fall into, before his legs gave out. He let his bag drop to the floor next to the chair and pulled his knees up to his chest, like he used to when he was a child. Balling up had always made him feel more in control of himself and less like every little thing could hurt him. His head rested perfectly on the top of his knees and he made sure to lock his gaze with Jason before he started.

“My parents were horrible. It took me years to admit it out loud because I didn’t want to admit, but it was true. The only reason they had me was because it was expected of them to do so. A Drake heir for the family business. I was raised by a bunch of nannies in a huge house, that always felt empty. My parents were always gone on business trips or to charity events and it was easier to leave me behind, than to take me with them. When I was seven, I got a postcard wishing me well for Christmas. They spent that whole December in Tahiti on vacation. My parents didn’t love me. My nannies pitied me, but they didn’t love me. They had their own children. I think I should hate them, but I can’t. They were my parents, even if they didn’t really want me. After Bruce took me in, I had to get used to the same people being around all the time. One day, Bruce sat me down and he asked me what I was waiting for. I told him, I was waiting for him to leave. He told me, he wouldn’t leave unless he had to do business for a few days. He explained it only happened every couple of months and when I looked confused, he told me he’d let me see his schedule. When I asked to start talking with a therapist a few months later, he said yes and he made sure to take me to every appointment.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me any time soon. What I did was horrible, but I needed you to understand why I couldn’t say it back yet. It took me so long to get used to Bruce and Alfred and Dick and Damian loving me. Being able to say it back, took even long. The same with Bart and Jaime.”

Jason slowly stood up from the bed, like he didn’t want to spook Tim, then came to kneel in front of Tim with his hands gently holding Tim’s ankles. “We need to set boundaries. The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable. What are you comfortable with?”

“What do you mean?”

“Timbers, I told you I loved you and you flipped out. I don’t want to go two days wondering whether we’re still dating again. Can I tell you I love you as long as you aren’t expected to say the same? Should I avoid the word all together?”

“Don’t. Don’t hide it. I really think I love you and you telling me that, reassuring me of it, will help me be able to say it back.”

“In that case, I love you. Let’s get some sleep and in the morning, I’ll show you around Germany. How does that sound?”

“Incredible.”

* * *

 

“What is it?” Tim took the flat golden brown patty Jason was holding out to him and looked at it with interest. “Like a hash brown type thing?”

“Sort of. It’s called kartoffelpuff.”

“Talk German to me.”

A warm hand slipped into Tim’s free hand and gave a little squeeze, as Jason chuckled under his breath. “German is known for being one of the most romantic sounding languages.”

“I now know why. It’s very sexy. I’m very turned on right now because of the… What did you call it? Keroffpuffle?”

“Kartoffelpuff, not the worse mispronunciation I’ve heard.”

“What was the worst?”

“Sasha. She is flawless at French, but she’ll never learn German. She is horrific at it. Absolutely horrendous.” Without meaning to, Tim let out a little snort when he laughed at the obvious disgust and tried to hide his red face behind what remained of his kartoffelpuff. “Did you just? That was the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard.”

“No, it wasn’t! That was awful. It’s so undignified.”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s so cute.”

“Everyone in high society would disagree with you there. The few times my parents actually took me to one of their fancy parties, my mother would spend twenty minutes lecturing me on why I had to make sure I didn’t snort in front of anyone. She didn’t want the Drake name associated with that kind of behavior.”

“Lucky for you, I’m not your mother and I think your snort is cute.” Jason leaned over to press a quick kiss to the tip of Tim’s freezing nose, then pressed another kiss to the top of Tim’s beanie covered head. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

Tim hummed happily and leaned further into Jason’s side, so he could steal more of his warmth to combat the cold. Out of the corner of his eye, Tim could see Jason getting a little smile before he let go of Tim’s hand and wrapped his arm around Tim’s waist instead. The two continued to walk down the practically deserted street, pressed tightly against each other to keep warm. Every couple of steps Tim’s head would bump back against Jason’s shoulder, making the older man grin a little wider every time.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“That depends.” Tim tipped his head up so he could look directly at Jason and didn’t for a second worry that he would end up flat on his face. “Is it something you can use against me?”

“I would never.”

“Liar.”

“Okay, maybe I would. This isn’t something I could tease you about. I was wondering how you lost your spleen.”

“Ah, most people just assume I got some sort of infection. Not that I go around telling most people I’m missing a spleen.”

“Did you lose it because of an infection?”

A humorless chuckle fell from Tim’s lips as he looked down at his beat-up Converse. “No. My dad always drove home after an event. He insisted on it. The last event we went to together he was drunk, but he wouldn’t call a cab. When the car was passing a construction site, my dad lost control of the wheel and we slammed into an unfinished building. I always sat in the middle because I liked to watch the cars and a thin pole went right through my spleen. If there wasn’t a woman driving by at the same time, I probably would have died.”

“Was that when your parents-”

“Yes. They weren’t fans of wearing seatbelts. My mom went out the front windshield and my dad got slammed into the airbag so hard he had too much internal bleeding for them to do anything about it.”

“Well… I certainly just killed the mood.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind talking about it.” The smell of something deliciously sweet wafting through the air after a couple exited a small building a few feet away from them had Tim instantly perking up. “How about we go get something sweet and forget about the drop in mood?”

“Do you have a sweet tooth I don’t know about?”

“Not that you can prove!”

* * *

 

The bustle of the busy Black Canary Café always made Tim feel like he was right at home. He could always find a squishy chair to curl up in one of the corners and read a book or simply people watch. When they weren’t busy, Bart and Jaime would join him in one of the secluded corners and spend a couple of hours just enjoying each other’s company. The fact Dinah Lance owned the café and would sometimes bring him something sweet to eat, definitely had nothing to do with his love of the quint shop.

“Think Dinah is doing any experimenting? Those deconstructed cheesecakes she made last time we came to visit were amazing.”

“Why don’t you go ask her?” Jaime took a long drink out of the cup of tea he had cradled in his hands. “She always falls for your big eyes. It’s baffling.”

“You used to fall for them, too. Now you’re immune.”

“That’s because you use them too much.”

Tim gave a derisive snort as he turned to the next page in his book and spoke without looking up. “I thought love was supposed to be blind. Shouldn’t you still fall for every pair of doe-eyes he sends your way?”

“I’m not a love-struck teen.”

“Everyone knows you are.”

“If I am, then you are too.”

“I am not!”

“Completely.” Before he spoke, Jaime cleared his throat so he could pitch his voice a little higher than normal. “Jason called me last night and he told me the funniest story. That reminds me of this story Jason told me the other day. Did you know Jason likes his tea that way too?”

“I do not sound like that!”

“My voice doesn’t go up any higher.”

“You’re an asshole and I don’t talk about him that much.”

A little giggle came from Bart that he tried to cover up with a cough, but the amusement on his face was too obvious to hide it. “You kind of do. It’s sweet though. I keep waiting for the day you show up at lunch or something and announce you’ve finally told him you love him and you’re going to get married.”

“We are not getting married.”

“You don’t want to get married?”

“I haven’t thought about it! Have the two of you thought about it?”

“We’ve talked about it a little. Neither of us wants to get married, until we’ve at least completed our Bachelor’s degrees.”

“That seems reasonable.” Tim sighed heavily as he sank further down in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve never really thought about whether I want marriage or not. This is something we should talk about though, isn’t it? If we’re going to be in a long term relationship, we need to know what the other wants out of it. Whether that includes marriage or kids or whatever else.”

“Jason is five years older than you and you’ve always been mature for your age. The two of you getting married in a couple years and thinking about adopting, doesn’t seem that crazy. Bruce might not be on board with it. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want you to even think about those things until you’re at least forty.”

“I’m sure Dick would do something to take some of the heat off of me if Bruce got unbearable about it. Why am I talking like Jason and I are getting married?”

After Jaime drained the last of his tea, he stood up and helped Bart out of his own chair. “Maybe because when you’re not busy worrying about what makes sense or how you should feel, you actually allow yourself to think and feel how you actually do. Something to think about before you call Jason.”

“Fantastic.”

* * *

 

Tim groaned as he fell on his bed and nearly hit himself in the face with his laptop that he’d forgotten about leaving there earlier. He reached out to flick open the lid, so the picture of him and Jason making silly faces popped up on the screen. Without bothering to lift his head, Tim pecked out his password on the keyboard and waited for it to unlock. The paper he had printed the night before was still pulled up, he made a face at it and closed the document.

He was in the middle of an internal debate over whether to watch something on Netflix or put on some music and take on nap, when a ringing came from his speakers. A little box displaying Jason’s name and picture of him smiling at something off camera appeared in the lower corner of his screen. Using more effort than he would ever like to admit, Tim moved the cursor over the box and clicked the answer button. A glass wearing Jason popped up in the middle of Tim’s screen and looked at him with an amused expression on his face.

“Your finals went well then?”

“Sleep.”

“I can go.”

“No.” Tim pushed himself up shakily and rubbed at his eyes to try to get rid of the black spots that had popped up in his vision. “I can talk.”

“You can barely sit up. Get some rest and we can talk tomorrow.”

“Want to talk. Haven’t talked in a week. Too long.”

“We can talk tomorrow. Call me when you wake up. All I’m doing is packing. I’ll answer right away.”

“I can stay awake for a few minutes. Don’t go.”

“Want me to tell you a bedtime story?” Despite the joking tone, Tim nodded his head eagerly and pulled on the hoodie he kept mixed in with the sheets on his bed. “You must really be exhausted.”

“Like the sound of your voice.”

“I love how cat-like you get when you’re exhausted.”

“Love you.”

For a few seconds Jason just stared at Tim, then he blinked a couple of times and cleared his throat. “You’re just saying that because you’re tired, Timmers.”

“Jaime says I need to stop thinking so much and just feel. That’s why it took him so long to tell Bart that he loved him. He kept overthinking and worrying. I’m done doing that. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Get some sleep and call me tomorrow. I’d like to talk about this when you’re not about to pass out.”

“Jay, you know I’m not going to take it back. I’ll say it again and I’ll say it tomorrow and I’ll keep on saying it every day. Just like you do. What are your thoughts on marriage and children?”

“You’re so unbelievably out of it right now.”

“Am not. We need to talk about it. It’s important for the future of our relationship, that we know what the other one wants out of it or something like that.”

“Babe, go to sleep. Call me in the morning. We can talk about all this then.” Jason gave a little wave and smiled when Tim just grinned sleepily at him. “Love you.”

“Love you, too. Told you I’d say it again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this first chapter! I plan on updating it one school year at a time, but I don't know when exactly I'll be updating. I think this will be a fic that I'll come back to whenever I get a spark of ideas for it. You can leave any comments/questions below or on my Tumblr (SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter). That's all for now!


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